I was once told practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent. Lotta truth to that.
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How to not zone out?
- Thread starter organworthyplayer337
- Start date
I was once told practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent. Lotta truth to that.
Look for queues specific to that section of the song. Are the lyrics different for the 3rd verse? Practice the 3rd verse, memorize the words, and exactly how and when the turnaround happens. Identify exactly which notes are involved and where the beat changes on paper. Don't waste time practicing the parts you know until you get this down.
There are lots of memory techniques out there that can help. "Overlearning" is the idea that you really dive into all the contextual information around what you're trying to learn.
If there are unique lyrics for the 3rd verse, turn them into something funny, absurd, or sexy, and link that in your mind to how the turnaround looks on the fretboard and sounds.
This is basically creating a web of associations that are alive that alert your brain to the turnaround about to happen. Listening for a a drum queue is a good suggestion too (maybe work one out with the drummer).
I recommend "Moonwalking with Einstein" or Kenneth Higbee's "Your Memory" as being interesting reads. Higbee is a college professor but the book is for the lay person.
Basically your memory is like a file cabinet, you need to create cross references and triggers for things that are hard to remember.
There are lots of memory techniques out there that can help. "Overlearning" is the idea that you really dive into all the contextual information around what you're trying to learn.
If there are unique lyrics for the 3rd verse, turn them into something funny, absurd, or sexy, and link that in your mind to how the turnaround looks on the fretboard and sounds.
This is basically creating a web of associations that are alive that alert your brain to the turnaround about to happen. Listening for a a drum queue is a good suggestion too (maybe work one out with the drummer).
I recommend "Moonwalking with Einstein" or Kenneth Higbee's "Your Memory" as being interesting reads. Higbee is a college professor but the book is for the lay person.
Basically your memory is like a file cabinet, you need to create cross references and triggers for things that are hard to remember.
While it's fine for players to offer cues to each other you should never need them to play a fixed arrangement. I have played with people who cannot make it through a song if the bass or drums stop...without any cues they are totally lost, no idea where they are in the song. How difficult is it to understand how long a verse is, how many verses before a chorus, when the bridge comes in?
If you really know a song, you should be able to play your parts start to finish all by yourself. If that's a problem, time for more practice my friend!
If you really know a song, you should be able to play your parts start to finish all by yourself. If that's a problem, time for more practice my friend!
I actually have this problem on a couple of our songs with easy but more repetitive parts. Where I'm just feeling it and not paying attention to how many times Im supposed to play a part I think the biggest thing you can do is try to listen to your bandmates more. There's ussually someone doing something to give me a heads up. Like I can kind see our guitarists reaching for his pedalboard, I can hear the the drummer kind of push or pull the tempo a little anticipating the change. Sometimes I actually pay attention to vocals alsoI've had this problem for a long time but I didn't really notice it until I started playing in more advanced settings....
So say that during a certain song you have turnaround after the third verse, for example. I could literally practice it all day and have it down pact. Then I'll get on stage and completely gloss over it. It's like it leaves my brain. As a matter of fact, one time as I entered the stage and was telling myself in my head "B A, B A, B A.." the notes of the bass part) and I still missed it. I don't have an attention issue with other aspects, I can sit down and do 300 math problems or do a puzzle or whatever. It's really only music and bass parts that get me.
Also I don't think it's a stage fright problem as I'm not scared of playing on stage. I hate it because it's so unprofessional. I really want to fix it
Any advice is appreciated
Could be a little subconscious anxiety where you're worrying or thinking about something else but aren't aware of it. The location in the audience of some spectacular bit of cleavage earlier seen by way of an example.
Kidding aside, your brain can only attend to one thing at at a time. Multitasking is a myth. We can only time-slice (often very rapidly) things that ask for our attention. If you have it down going in, and lose it momentarily at a crucial moment, and everything else with the way your brain works seems ok (which from your earlier comment it does) - then there's something bothering you. It could be as minor as quickly thinking "did I remember to lock my car?" or "where did I put my cellphone - and did I switch the ringer off?" On a tight arrangement that tenth of a second can easily lead to a dropped beat or wrong note. And if you don't (or can't) recover quickly, it can go downhill pretty fast.
I've found it's best to have a little process to follow when on a gig. I have a mental checklist I've burned into my brain of a dozen or so things I absolutely have to check before I walk on stage. And some rituals such as: hand off phone, car keys and wallet to GF. Hit the head. Make sure spare cord is coiled and on top of amp. Backup bass tuned and in case or on stand next to it. Check set list for what the first three songs are. Final tuning check. Et cetera. And I mentally start playing the first number about 5 minutes before I actually start it. Once I'm past the first measure or two of a song (I still get mildly wired up before the first song - even after all these years) it's smooth sailing.
Might not address what's bugging you. But it goes a long way towards reducing any minor concerns or uncertainties that might lead to me making a mistake once the music starts.
Luck!
Kidding aside, your brain can only attend to one thing at at a time. Multitasking is a myth. We can only time-slice (often very rapidly) things that ask for our attention. If you have it down going in, and lose it momentarily at a crucial moment, and everything else with the way your brain works seems ok (which from your earlier comment it does) - then there's something bothering you. It could be as minor as quickly thinking "did I remember to lock my car?" or "where did I put my cellphone - and did I switch the ringer off?" On a tight arrangement that tenth of a second can easily lead to a dropped beat or wrong note. And if you don't (or can't) recover quickly, it can go downhill pretty fast.
I've found it's best to have a little process to follow when on a gig. I have a mental checklist I've burned into my brain of a dozen or so things I absolutely have to check before I walk on stage. And some rituals such as: hand off phone, car keys and wallet to GF. Hit the head. Make sure spare cord is coiled and on top of amp. Backup bass tuned and in case or on stand next to it. Check set list for what the first three songs are. Final tuning check. Et cetera. And I mentally start playing the first number about 5 minutes before I actually start it. Once I'm past the first measure or two of a song (I still get mildly wired up before the first song - even after all these years) it's smooth sailing.
Might not address what's bugging you. But it goes a long way towards reducing any minor concerns or uncertainties that might lead to me making a mistake once the music starts.
Luck!
It's a kinda "professional" setting. They don't want the audience to see any paper on the floor or on amps, in stands etc...
My suggestion is to listen to what's going on around you. More than likely, you'll hear some cues from the drummer, guitarist, or even the singer that will give you clues that the change is coming.
On super repetitive songs, if you have to repeat a chord progression 4 times, I will play each slightly different. Say for the last chord in the progression, first time stay on root. Second time through go root 5. Third time root octave. 4th time 5 root.
That way I know where we are in the progression and honestly as subtle as it seems, others in the band hear it. For fun I decided to not do the 5 root on the last go around, and the drummer and guitarist missed the change! They couldn't explain WHY they missed it - but it was nice to know my subtle but consistent bass line changes were being followed by my bandmates.
Now if you are playing exact to a recording, then I'm not sure. I was on stage at a big show and took in the moment, only to completelt lose where I was! Worse yet, it was just me and the drummer with a guest very pro guitarist playing a jazz solo - a note by note solo that goes with the chord changes. And I messed it up. Ugh. Wanted to crawl in to my bass cab and hide. We played through it but I'm sure the pro guitarist was thinking "what the heck is he playing???" Oops. Mental note - don't zone out!!
That way I know where we are in the progression and honestly as subtle as it seems, others in the band hear it. For fun I decided to not do the 5 root on the last go around, and the drummer and guitarist missed the change! They couldn't explain WHY they missed it - but it was nice to know my subtle but consistent bass line changes were being followed by my bandmates.
Now if you are playing exact to a recording, then I'm not sure. I was on stage at a big show and took in the moment, only to completelt lose where I was! Worse yet, it was just me and the drummer with a guest very pro guitarist playing a jazz solo - a note by note solo that goes with the chord changes. And I messed it up. Ugh. Wanted to crawl in to my bass cab and hide. We played through it but I'm sure the pro guitarist was thinking "what the heck is he playing???" Oops. Mental note - don't zone out!!
Do you have a smartphone/tablet/computer? Oh... That's right. Please disregard.
Try this, maybe-
Open a text file/notepad, and make a set/song list using really simple notation that you can use quickly, i.e.
Song title 1- "A B A C x4 G x2 F# x2", etc. or whatever, for the songs in your set list. Make it really simple and easy to read and (hopefully) remember, but with enough info to be helpful. Save file. Pre-show, place phone/tablet/device of choice somewhere visible and accessible but as unobtrusive as possible (floor, top of amp, guitarist's back [ymmv] etc.) and play. Scroll as needed.
The best part, ime? Even when said device can't be used as above, the process of making the list helped me remember.
Like, a whole lot.
Once had to learn 35 (not super easy) songs in a weekend. This worked for me. Also, make a recording of said songs you can play as often as you can stand while you study, garden, do the dishes, etc, beating them into your subconscious. Unconscious learning, and all that. Again, worked for me.
Besides that?
Try to play as if seemingly the most amazing, sensitive, beautiful, attractive, wealthy, awesome, and obviously "into you" person you could ever imagine is sitting front and center, with all attention on you. Don't disappoint them.
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I've had this problem for a long time but I didn't really notice it until I started playing in more advanced settings....
So say that during a certain song you have turnaround after the third verse, for example. I could literally practice it all day and have it down pact. Then I'll get on stage and completely gloss over it. It's like it leaves my brain. As a matter of fact, one time as I entered the stage and was telling myself in my head "B A, B A, B A.." the notes of the bass part) and I still missed it. I don't have an attention issue with other aspects, I can sit down and do 300 math problems or do a puzzle or whatever. It's really only music and bass parts that get me.
Also I don't think it's a stage fright problem as I'm not scared of playing on stage. I hate it because it's so unprofessional. I really want to fix it
Any advice is appreciated
'B A, B A, B A', is usually what I repeat when there's excessive cleavage in the front row...
I do the same thing, when I'm driving... I could be over there, in that fairway. Possibly, that large clump of trees, on my left...
Jeff Berlin recommended this technique for memorizing songs:
Learn it, play through it 3 or 4 times then walk away from it completely and come back an hour later and repeat.
Obviously, time constraints means you have to adjust your practice routines to try this kind of thing but it works well for me.
When I hear the song in my head, especially when I don't really care to, I know I have it down.
Another great place to learn songs is when you're driving the car. You won't wreck (by playing along) what your ears are hearing because you have to drive.
I couldn't tell you how many times I thought I learned a song (the changes at least), but realized I didn't know it until I heard it on the radio.
Learn it, play through it 3 or 4 times then walk away from it completely and come back an hour later and repeat.
Obviously, time constraints means you have to adjust your practice routines to try this kind of thing but it works well for me.
When I hear the song in my head, especially when I don't really care to, I know I have it down.
Another great place to learn songs is when you're driving the car. You won't wreck (by playing along) what your ears are hearing because you have to drive.
I couldn't tell you how many times I thought I learned a song (the changes at least), but realized I didn't know it until I heard it on the radio.
I'm a chick guys lololol
I have this problem. It's not much of an issue in my current band since the drummer and steel player both have very pronounced cadences before there is a change.
My current project is a bar room country band, so most of the changes require very specific and precise walks, meaning I have to know about the change before the change, if that makes sense?
Have to agree that for repetitive progressions that it is important to change how you are playing it ever so slightly. Which is exactly what the steel player and drummer above are doing.
Oh man.
My current project is a bar room country band, so most of the changes require very specific and precise walks, meaning I have to know about the change before the change, if that makes sense?
Have to agree that for repetitive progressions that it is important to change how you are playing it ever so slightly. Which is exactly what the steel player and drummer above are doing.
Oh man.
